The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-01
THE WHOLESALE TRADE.
A Marked Increase in the Volume and Profits
of the Years Business.

The wholesale trade in Indianapolis never
bore as bright and cheerful an aspect as it does
to-day at the close of the best years business
Meridian street has ever known. The term
Meridian street" has now a more comprehen-
sive meaning than it once had Formerly it ap-
piled only to the business actually upon that
street, but as the wholesalers increased in num-
bers, lack of room forced them upon side Streets
and now the term Meridian street." as applied
to wholesale merchants, takes in neighboring
houses on Maryland and Georgia streets. There
but one voice among these wholesalers, and
that is of satisfaction, coupled with the declara-
tion that 1886 was in every respect good year.
and that 1887 will be as good, with the addi-
tional and natural increase that comes with a
growing and progressive city, the center of a
railroad system that makes this distributing
point second to none in the West.
1.-THE wholesale grocery trade of this city for
1885," aid w. A. Krag, of the firm of Schnull
& Krag to Journal reporter 'has increased
fully Is per cent. over 1885. l think the nine
strictly wholesale houses in this line-Severin
Ostermeyer & Co., M. OConnor & Co., Rob
ertson & Perry, Syfers, Mcbride & Co.. Conduit
& Sons. George W. Stout, Moore & Coughlen
and Scbnul & Krag-have done altogether
business closely aggregating six million dollars
In coffees. prices have been higher; in sugars,
lower but the general run of goods has been
about the same, either steady or slightly-ad-
vancing market. and therefore, good for jobber,
retailer and consumer. Prices, however, are
narrowing every year by reason OF competition.
The roasted-coffee trade of Indianapolis is be-
of
~Ths city has become so important point in
this trade that an Eastern house has established
branch agency here for the distribution of its
roasted coffeea In 1886 this roasted-coffe trade
amounted to $50O,O00 and it will be double that
figure in 1887, these goods are going from here
| to the far West and Northwest"
Norman S. Byram, of Byram. Cornelius &
Co.. said to Journal reporter: 1.-The three
ply, Hibben & Co., D. p Erwin & Co.. and
Byram, Cornelius g. Co. nave sold, this year.
about three millions of dollars worth of goods.
There has been an increase in volume but not
| in profits. Prices are little higher than year
| ago. with a hardening tendency. Collections
| have been better. and there has been happier
| business feeling than in 1885,"
! Louis Hollweg, of Holweg & Reese, oneens-
| ware: Business has increased over last year 25
| per cent Our trade covers larger territory
than ever before. having been extended by extra
exertions. We go further east and further
west, as far north as central Michigan and as
| far south the river towns of Kentucky.
| think the two houses engaged in the wholesale
! queensware business in this city will sell about
three-auarters of million dollars worth Of
| goods this year. There are not as many goods
in this line wholesaled in Cincinnati. There mas
been unprecedented trade in fruit jars, and
! the holiday goods trade has been enormous
| Trade promises we'll for the coming season
! Daniel Stewart, drugs: There has been large
| increase in our business. the aggregate sales
having been, should think. 20 per cent greater
| than in 1885. have little doubt that the other
houses in the wholesale drug trade have done as
| WELL This increase is perhaps due to the fact
that there are fewer houses in the trade The
| houses now here are A. Kiefer & Co., Ward
Brothers, the Richardson Drug Company and
Daniel Stewart Ishould think the aggregate sales
this year Of these firms would reach one and q
| half million dollars
Augustus Kiefer, drugs: The drug business ie
healthy and growing The percentage of losses
| is less than it has ever been and business has
been done at remunerative prices. There is now
| disposition in prices to st;fen up and mum
| Der Of articles have advanced. Something has
been recently said about the banking capital Of
| Indianapolis not being large enough. This city
differs from other cities. Merchants have their
| own capital That shown when the bank
| failures came They carried no merchants dowr
| with them. Business men depend little upoI
the banks. They use their own capital. Thi
| makes Meridian street one of the soidest bust
| ness streets in the world. Another thing: TAX,
the business men of this street from one end Il
the other and there ls not dissipated maj
among them. The effect of this is that they ar
wide awake and watch their business closely
Indianapolis merchants loose a smaller per cent
of debts than any similar class of merchants il
the country. They are mostly young and ener
getic men and look after their collections sharpl.
and closely
George G. Webster, jr.: Wysong & Co.
| Moerch 81 Co.. Messick, Cones e. Co and Dae
gett g. Co., wholesale confectioners and cand
manufacturers, approximate a million dollars
worth OF business in 1886 Prices were not ma
terally lower than in 1885. This city, as cand
market. has a wide reputation, because of tn
superior quality OF the goods manufactured here
The trade covers Indiana and Illinois, and